I Should Let You Go, But
by fragmentalis
Summary: Response to the iPod Shuffle Challenge. Ten sequential songfics about my favorite pairing: Mr. Kennedy and Melina.


**I Should Let You Go, But**

**A/N:** This is that iPod Shuffle Challenge, and I just had to take it. Sounded fun. I know Simply Priceless (AKA Mrs. Cody Rhodes, Becky) chose Ken/Melina, but that's my all time favorite pairing (which some of you know) and that's what you're supposed to use, so...

What you do is, put your iPod, MP3 player, or iTunes on shuffle and put the first ten songs to good use in songfics. Use your favorite pairing.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own WWE, its employees, or the songs used in this fic.

#

_**Boys of Summer - The Ataris**_

_I can see you-  
Your brown skin shinin' in the sun  
I see you walkin' real slow and you're smilin' at everyone  
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong  
After the boys of summer have gone_

Everyone knew that Melina Perez was a free spirit. That, at least in Ken Kennedy's eyes, was her only flaw. She was no stranger to the phrase 'summer fling'. In fact, she was one of the few who saw the golden beauty in the concept of a summer fling.

A new man every summer, but she was far from promiscuous. These mini-relationships never went further than a kiss, because everyone knew where Melina would end up after the summer. Back in the arms of the only man she ever really loved: Ken Kennedy.

It was just the way they functioned. They would be completely happy through every season...but they would break up right before summer. But they _always_ got back together afterwards. Always.

But still...was it supposed to be painless for Ken to see Melina swaggering around on the beaches with some random guy, her skin a golden brown and her hair slightly sun-bleached? To see her gliding gracefully through the ocean, but not being able to greet her with a kiss when she reached the shore?

Summer had once been his favorite season, but now, he despised it. He would scowl at the young teenagers in love, as they rode either their bikes or skateboards to local ice cream parlors. He would completely ignore his friends' invitations to barbecues. He would simply sit around his apartment in the air conditioning, not wanting to brave the heat, or even the world.

His spirits would hit an all-time low in the summer. But despite all of this, he would remain in waiting until the fall, when she finally saw the error of her ways and came back to him.

#

_**Leave The Memories Alone - Fuel**_

_So leave the memories alone  
I don't want to see  
The way it is, as to how it used to be  
Leave the memories alone, don't change a thing  
And I'll hold you here in my memory_

Mr. Kennedy retire? No, she must've been dreaming. No matter how much sense his retirement made to everyone around her, Melina couldn't bring herself to look up at anybody, even when they spoke to her.

The year? 2015. The setting? Mr. Kennedy's retirement party. Melina simply tucked herself away near a table in the corner, listening to everyone congratulate him on a wonderful career, and wish him luck in the future.

And it was true; he had experienced a fruitful 10-year career with the WWE. The 39-year-old had held multiple World titles, not to mention the Tag Team, Intercontinental and United States titles. But, Melina couldn't help but selfishly assume that his success was all the more reason to stay. Of course, this was to satisfy her own longing.

It was quite obvious that she did not want him to go anywhere, and she would tell anyone who would listen, including him. In fact, she already had.

He would just give her excuses and explanations that she didn't want to hear.

"It's a little crazy around here," she heard a voice say. Melina looked up to see Ken standing there, offering her a plastic cup filled with fruit punch. She said nothing, but made a hand gesture signifying that she didn't want the drink.

His voice was unmistakable, at least to her. No matter how off balance she was, she would always hear him, and only him.

She sighed inwardly as he pulled a chair in front of her and sat down, making sure there was nothing to separate them, such as a table or..air. He took her hand, and it made her tremble with emotion. There was so much history in those hands, and it overwhelmed her. She knew that he knew what was wrong, so he didn't bother asking.

"You remember the first day we met?" Was the next thing he said, and she nodded. She would not give in and show any positivity until she knew where he was going with this.

"I took your hair mousse and put it in your shoes. You absolutely hated me," he perservered, and she finally cracked a smile. It was hard not to at her memory of that day.

"It was completely unprovoked! What did you expect?" She asked him, bewildered.

"I liked you. As soon as you found out that I was the one who did it and you screamed at me, I knew I would like you. You became my best friend," he told her, sipping from the cup of punch that was intended for her.

At this, she stopped smiling, and glimpsed to the side. She knew if she spent another second looking at him, the water works would soon follow.

"I understand that you don't want me to go, but that's not your decision," he stated, trying not to sound like he was scolding her. She looked back at him and pursed her lips, but her brown eyes fell upon him lovingly.

"I know," she replied, leaning forward. She placed her lips against his in a soft kiss, one that was chock full of every single emotion she was feeling, before rising from her chair.

"Congratulations on everything you've accomplished, and good luck in the future," she added, before turning on heel and leaving the party, knowing there was nothing more she could do.

#

_**Dead Skin - Crossfade**_

_The alcohol, the Demerol_

_These things never could replace_

_What a minute with you could do_

_To put a smile on my face_

There was a cold sensation on his face. Through his drunken stupor, that was all he could tell for sure. He couldn't see, but he assumed his eyes were closed, and he didn't even have the strength to open them. He heard a beautiful sound: a fragile female voice, that sounded alarmingly familiar. He hadn't enough control of his mind to decipher what was being said, but he knew it was probably another lecture.

He forced his eyes open, and saw a moist blur...why was there wetness? Had he been crying? Well, that's embarrassing. He instinctively closed his eyes again, as the cold sensation, as well as a large white object passed over them.

When he opened his eyes a second time, he could see more clearly. He spotted a small, manicured hand on the side of his face, and it was grasping a white wash cloth. That must've been the cold feeling on his face. His eyes took a journey from the hand, up the arm, and finally, to the face of the person who was currently taking care of him.

His eyes met a pair of pained brown ones that had the look of a puddle of water, leaking tears just as he figured he had done. He knew those eyes very intimately, and they were often wet like this.

"Mel?" He called out, and suddenly, a sob was drawn out of her mouth. She lunged down and placed her arms around his neck, hanging on to him as if for her life. He groggily lifted a hand and touched her arm.

"I could kill you right now, Ken!" She said very loudly, right next to his ear. Ken looked to his left to see his own hand clutching the neck of a whiskey bottle, the end of which had been broken and scattered across the floor near by.

"Sure you didn't already try?" He asked her, squeezing his eyes shut tightly, his head ringing and enduring a biting pain.

"I didn't, but it looks like you did. Whiskey and then Demerol?! What the fuck were you thinking? You could've died!" Melina screamed at him, releasing her grip from him and sitting up.

"Sorry to be such a bother," he stated sarcastically, to which she squealed in aggravation. Jumping up, she high-tailed it out of his apartment.

"You had better stop this!" She shrieked, and he could hear her stomping down the hall.

Ken smirked slightly, before bringing the rim of the broken whiskey bottle to his lips, forgetting there was no more left to drink.

#

_**Someone Like You - SafetySuit**_

_If I were strong enough, if I were wrong enough to be someone like you  
Would you have let me come to be with you?  
If I had made my own and I had overcome to be someone like you  
Would you have let me come to be with you?_

What the hell does a girl have to do to get a guy to notice her these days?! I was a total bitch. I acted so into myself for so long, assuming that those were the kind of girls he liked. Then he goes all soft and starts being nice?!

That's when I did the same. Suddenly, I dropped my old friends and gained some new ones. The "nice" girls of the WWE. Mickie James, Candice Michelle, Maria and the like. I became sickeningly sweet to the fans, because for some reason, that's what he had done.

We were out at the ring together only one time. I was in a tag-team match with Mickie as my partner, against Katie Lea Burchill and Beth Phoenix. Suddenly, Katie's brother Paul came out, and apparently, Ken didn't like it too much. He came out and ambushed the so-called "Ripper" and unleashed hell on the poor guy.

There I was, beside the ring, obviously hurt. The perfect opportunity for a "damsel in distress" moment, and he doesn't even _look at me_. I was incredibly pissed off, because he just felt the need to ignore my existence. Just like he has always done.

He got drafted to Smackdown about a month ago, and I got injured on the very same show. I saw him backstage when the referees were carrying me back, and he was having a lovely, pleasant conversation with Maria. I wanted to rip that bitch's hair out. But I was, of course, injured.

Found out later that Maria had also been drafted to Smackdown in the Supplemental Draft. I hope those two will be very happy together. Not.

#

_**Your Love Is A Lie - Simple Plan**_

_You look so innocent  
But the guilt in your voice gives you away  
Yeah you know what I mean  
How does it feel when you kiss when you know that I trust you  
And do you think about me when he fucks you?  
Could you be more obscene?_

Ken Kennedy was on the verge of vomiting. He literally had to cover his mouth with his hand to prevent it from happening. He hadn't even considered the moral repugnancy of what _he_ was doing, because he was too busy watching _her_. "Her" being his girlfriend, Melina, literally having sex with another man just mere feet from him. The other man being Dave Batista.

Ken had stayed home all day, waiting for this little rendezvous, and the very second he'd heard Melina's car pull up with Dave in the passenger side seat, he had run and hid in the closet.

And there he had remained, waiting for the very moment where they started to get a little buckwild. They had stumbled all the way to the bed located in front of the closet, where Ken still hid.

He wondered how they would react if he jumped out of the closet and yelled "Boo!"

#

_**Caught In The Rain - Revis**_

_It was you  
Who could get me high  
With whatever you say  
You're telling me something real  
What we do  
It doesn't matter now  
Whatever it takes  
For you to stay with me_

The atmosphere of the club was elation and rhythm, and Melina Perez felt every ounce of it. People were dancing and laughing, and just having a good time, and she could appreciate that.

It was not dark or hot in the crowded room. The lights were on bright, and the music was loud. It was an upbeat rock song that played. Not that electronica dance music that you'd have to be on ecstasy to really enjoy.

Melina, thankful that she had worn flats, jumped up and down along with the horde of people, swaying her arms to the music. She giggled as she heard a voice in her ear.

"Having fun?" The voice inquired, as she felt a pair of hands snake around her waist from behind.

She spun around to see Ken Kennedy, who addressed her in the form of a kiss on the cheek.

"You came!" She exclaimed happily, ignoring his question.

"I told you I would be here," he responded, keeping his hands glued to her sides.

"Well, you owe me a hell of a lot of dances," she chuckled, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"I'll get right on that," he declared, taking her hand and leading her further into the crowd.

#

_**Long Road To Ruin - Foo Fighters**_

_Long road to ruin  
There in your eyes  
Under the cold streetlights  
No tomorrow  
No dead-end in sight_

It was December 15th, and the Superstars of the WWE were currently touring the Middleast for the 7th annual 'Tribute to the Troops' event. Two of these athletes were Ken Anderson and Melina Perez, who were randomly placed in the same group. They were very close friends, and had been their entire careers, slating back to their OVW days.

The wind was chilly in the deserts of Iraq, and this was taking its toll on the dark haired Diva. She wanted to huddle close to Ken, but then again, she didn't.

He was completely oblivious to her in any way other than a friend, because he was married to a girl named Shawn. Melina had met Shawn, and knew she was very nice, and she would even admit that Shawn was Ken's type. But that didn't subdue her...feelings.

Only her closest friends on the roster, save Ken, knew of the feelings she had for him. She was in love with him, and had been since long before he had ever met Shawn. Melina blew the only chance she ever had with him, and she mentally kicked herself for it everyday.

"How's Shawn?" Melina asked him, looking only for small conversation, to escape her own thoughts.

"She's good. Uh, are you cold or something?" Ken replied, casting a sideways glance at her, before extending his arm intending to wrap it around her. She shook her head no, and avoided his arm.

She would not, under any circumstances, allow it to happen knowing he was married, and she was in love with him.

#

_**Living Rooms - Revis**_

_We watched each other escape  
From the commotion that we knew  
The way our languages fade  
In through an empty living room_

"This is so wrong..." Melina sighed, snuggling closer to the man laying next to her, as though that would erase her sin.

She and Ken Kennedy were splayed across the floor of his living room, a heavy comforter covering them both from the shameful eyes of the world. It was pitch black in the room, and the only light they had was when a car passed by on the road, a beautiful mirage of light dancing over the wall.

Ken draped an arm under the concerned woman lying next to him, and kissed her forehead sweetly.

"It doesn't feel that way to me," he replied in a low voice.

"That's because you're not cheating on anyone...If Dave were to find out about this--" Melina argued, before he interrupted.

"If you want to stop, then do it. Don't treat it as though I'm making this choice for you," he said, continuing to run his fingers through her long, curly hair.

"I don't think I ever can...stop seeing you. I'm in too deep, now. It's just that, I feel guilty about Dave," she muttered, and Ken could tell there were tears in her eyes.

"Well, he's not the only one who loves you," he told her. She looked up at him expressively, and smiled.

#

_**Stupid Girl - Cold**_

_She's going away,  
She's going away  
What's wrong with my life today?  
She's going away,  
She's going away  
What's wrong with my life today?  
Stupid girl, Stupid girl _

Oh...of course she had to pick a fight before the most important day of his entire life. It was the eve of Wrestlemania XXV (25), and he, Ken Kennedy, was competing in the defining match of his career. He was in the main event, facing Edge for the WWE Championship.

His fiance, however, seemed to want things to be difficult for him even the night before Wrestlemania. She yelled at him over the stupidest things, especially things that weren't his fault, and that he had no control over.

"This stupid dishwasher is still broken! Haven't you fixed it yet?" Melina screamed at him from the kitchen, as he sat comfortably in the living room and watched his beloved Green Bay Packers on TV.

"What am I, a mechanic? A plumber? No. I don't know how to fix that stuff. Why didn't you call someone to fix it?" He yelled back, popping the tab on a can of beer.

"Why the hell won't _you_ call somebody? What the hell have you been doing around here?" She exclaimed, appearing in the doorway.

"Oh, nothing! God knows I don't do a damn thing around here. Christ, did somebody piss you off today?" Ken retorted, not even looking away from the television.

"Umm..._you_!" She shrieked, crossing her arms.

"Is it your time of the month, or something?" He asked, finally looking up at her. She gaped at him, before stomping to the door, and grabbing her car keys from the keyring.

She didn't even tell him where she was going, but he didn't really care. He simply sat on the couch, and smiled as she slammed the door.

"Finally, some peace and quiet," he said to himself.

Suddenly he frowned, his mind becoming fixated on whether she would come back or not, even though he knew she always did.

#

_**All Over You - Spill Canvas**_

_I gotta feel you in my bones again_

_I'm all over you_

_I'm not over you_

_I wanna taste you one more time, again_

_I'm all over you_

_I'm not over you_

Ken Kennedy had finally concluded that he was never going to get rid of Melina Perez, and he sure as hell didn't want to.

He could tell that much from her sudden appearance in his locker room, a ravenous look in her eye. She lunged at him, and he responded in her favor, taking her in his arms and kissing her as though she were the only thing keeping him alive. And, at least to him, that was partly true.

She could threaten to find someone else all she wanted, but she would always be back in his arms eventually. He grinned beneath the weight of her lips, as she slammed him against the wall, and he let her overpower him. It was more symbolic than he wanted to believe, but nevermind that.

#

**A/N:** I got some of the most unspecific songs...Grr. Eh, I tried to work through it. Anyway, hope you enjoyed.


End file.
